French and Indian War/Transcript
Transcript Text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby Tim and Moby are in a museum. They are looking at an eighteenth-century painting, "The Death of General Wolfe" by Benjamin West. In the painting, a wounded British general is surrounded by military men and an American Indian. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Oh, that's James Wolfe. He was a British general who got killed during the French and Indian War. MOBY: Beep? Moby shoots a ray from his finger that turns the painting into a letter. Tim reads from the letter on the wall. TIM: Uh, okay. Dear Tim and Moby, please tell me about the French and Indian War! From, Bobby. The French and Indian War was a conflict between France and Great Britain over territory in North America. It lasted from 1754 to 1763. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Actually, American Indians fought on both sides, but we'll get to that in a minute. An animation shows British and French territories in North Americas. The images of the thirteen colonies in the British territory show happy colonists, a farmer, and a government building. The French territory is larger, and the images show American Indians trading with the French, a French soldier, and a clergyman. TIM: By the middle of the eighteenth century, the thirteen British colonies were thriving. The land to the west was controlled by France, and they claimed most of Canada too. Most of the French land was still wilderness, fewer than 100,000 colonists lived there, and their economy revolved around trade with American Indians. MOBY: Beep. An image shows a French man with a French flag and a British man with a British flag trying to claim the same land for their own country. TIM: Well, the borders between French and British territories were sort of vague. A lot of land was claimed by both countries. An animation shows British colonists and American Indians trading goods while a displeased French colonist watches. TIM: Sparks started flying when British colonists began trading with the Indians of the Ohio River Valley. The French wanted to control all the trade in their territory. An animation shows a map of the British and French territories. Forts are being built across the French territory. TIM: They warned the Indians to stop dealing with the British and began building military forts to keep the English out. TIM: Then, in 1754, the governor of Virginia sent soldiers to kick the French out of Western Pennsylvania. They were led by a young colonel named George Washington. Washington and his men fought against the French forces, but they were eventually forced to surrender and head back to Virginia. Images show George Washington,. andWashington and his soldiers fighting with the French soldiers. An animation shows British and French ships sailing from Europe to North America. TIM: After this, the leaders of France and Britain started sending troops and supplies to North America. That's basically how the war broke out. MOBY: Beep. An image shows American Indians smiling and talking with French colonists. TIM: Well, at the start, most Indian nations sided with France. The French tended to treat Indians with more dignity and respect. They viewed Indians as trading partners, not enemies. An animation shows an unhappy American Indian staring at a British fort on Indian land. TIM: And unlike Britain, France didn't build farms and towns on Indian land. An image shows French troops and American Indians shooting at outnumberedBritish troops. TIM: So with the Indians on their side, the French pretty much pushed the British around at first. The British weren't very good at fighting in the wilderness and were constantly forced into retreat. But by 1758, things began to change. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Back in England, a politician named William Pitt took over the planning for the war. An image shows William Pitt planning Britain’s war strategies with a map of the North American territories. An animation shows a fleet of British ships sailing for Canada. TIM: He sent thousands of additional soldiers to capture the biggest French settlements in Canada. An image shows Pitt holding a sign that reads, "Support Britain and Britain will support you!" TIM: He increased popular support for the war in Great Britain and the American colonies. An animation shows the locations of French colonies all over the world. TIM: And he attacked French territories around the world, expanding the conflict into Europe and Asia. MOBY: Beep. An animation shows British ships blocking the American coastline. TIM: Yep. The French and British were fighting battles as far away as India. But the major action was still based in North America. The British Navy blockaded the Atlantic coast, preventing French ships from getting through. An animation shows British officials signing a treaty with American Indian leaders. TIM: Soon, France couldn't reinforce its armies with new soldiers or supplies. Seeing an opportunity, England made peace with the Indians of the Ohio Valley and the Iroquois Confederacy, a group of powerful tribes in Western New York State. An image shows boatloads of British soldiers landing on the Canadian coast. TIM: And from 1758 to 1760, the British won victory after victory. The biggest came in 1759, when General James Wolfe captured the Canadian city of Quebec. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Right, that's the scene from the painting. An image shows the painting, "The Death of General Wolfe." An animation shows the British area expanding and taking over almost all of the French territories in North America, including Canada. TIM:The next year, the British took Montreal, and the French surrendered for good. Three years later, the two sides signed the Treaty of Paris. France had to give up virtually all of its North American territory. Britain took control of almost all land east of the Mississippi, and all of Canada, too. An animation shows the British king holding a decree that reads "New Taxes." A colonist reads the tax decree and frowns. TIM: But that's not the end of the story. To pay for the war, Britain started taxing the American colonists. With no representation in England's government, the colonists weren't too thrilled about these new taxes. In fact, they got so upset, they started a revolution. MOBY: Beep. Moby points to a painting in the museum showing Washington crossing the Delaware. TIM: Right, that's the one. Hey, speaking of which, can you change this painting back? Moby shoots a ray out of his finger. The letter changes back to a mixed-up version of the original painting. General Wolfe is surrounded by a giraffe, a pirate with a parrot on his shoulder, a man with a baseball cap, a dinosaur, and a robot. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Um, I think we should go. An angry museum worker stands behind Tim and Moby. TIM: Like now. Category:BrainPOP Transcripts